A thousand enlightenments in one night, starting from being a menial apprentice.

Chapter 492 The Way to Survive
The purification and improvement of his physical condition did not proceed as exaggeratedly as Duan Rong had imagined, because the efficacy of the medicine was fading. The speed and magnitude of the fading exceeded Duan Rong's expectations.

After about twelve hours, it would take two or three big cycles of circulation before a strand of black mycelium would be peeled off from the wall of the Dantian.

On the third day, Duan Rong practiced the Great Circulation without stopping for a whole day, but he only peeled off three strands of black mycelium in total.

After three days, the efficacy of the medicine had gradually diminished to almost nothing over time.

Zhu He told him to take it once every three days, which was a very precise timing.

After three days of refining and exploration, Duan Rong has a clear understanding of the process of drug decay.

Although the efficacy of the medicine faded quickly, by the third day, it was already negligible. But Duan Rong knew that even if he could purify one more strand of black mycelium from the Dantian meridian, it would improve his physical condition.

In the long rest of his life of practice, this tiny improvement will accumulate into huge benefits because of the long duration of time.

He did not delay any longer. After the third day, after a brief thought, he dug out a small lump of black ointment from the round-bellied white porcelain bottle again, mixed it with the bile of the Fire Python, and swallowed it.

A new round of refining medicinal power begins again...

About a month later, the effect of the medicine in Duan Rong's body was almost gone again. He opened his eyes and was about to swallow the medicine again, but suddenly he saw a face with a lewd expression leaning against his side.

Duan Rong glanced at Ximen Kankan and asked, "What are you doing here?"

Ximen Kankan's nose twitched a few times. He looked at Duan Rong with a strange look and asked, "Do you smell it? Is there a sour smell? It's like putting smelly socks that have been worn for several months in a pot and boiling them..."

Duan Rong asked in confusion, "I didn't smell it. There is nothing foreign in this secret room, so how could there be the sour smell you mentioned?"

Ximen Kankan sighed and said, "It seems that you really can't smell it! It's the smell on you!"

"The smell on me?" Duan Rong's eyes moved.

Ximen Kankan complained, "I smelled it faintly some time ago, and it's getting stronger these days. Smell yourself, it's sour and smelly, really..."

Ximen Kankan said this, fanning his nose with his hand and walking away.

Duan Rong lowered his head and smelled it. As expected, he smelled a dead rat-like odor from his armpit. He couldn't help but cough.

During the past month, he had been leaking some yellow and white pus every three days. Although the amount was small, it was already a lot after a month. He had never taken a bath during the past month, so you could imagine how it smelled.

Duan Rong himself was concentrating on cultivation, and secondly, he gradually got used to the taste bit by bit. If Ximen Kankan hadn't pointed it out, he would not have noticed it at all.

It's just like the boys' dormitory when you were in school. You'd been out for a few days and suddenly go back in, and the smell was so sour and refreshing, but after you stay there for a while, you can no longer smell it.

Duan Rong raised his head somewhat embarrassedly, looked at Ximen Kankan and said, "This smell is a side effect of the drug. Let's go, I'll just take you to take a bath."

Ximen Kankan took a step back and said, "You smell like a rat. Who wants to take a bath with you!?"

"That's what you said. Okay, then don't come!"

In the bathroom on the pavilion of Yunfu Peak, Duan Rong and Ximen Kankan were soaking in a large wooden barrel each, and from time to time young servants would come in to add some hot water for them.

Ximen Kankan rested his head on the edge of the barrel, half-closed his eyes, and said while rubbing the ashes: "Duan Rong, are you living too comfortably these days? I want to remind you that Yi Yu can kill you!"

Duan Rong said: "This place is nice. But once I start practicing, I often don't even remember to come here to wash for a month or two. What the hell is this!"

Ximen Kankan raised his head slightly, glanced at Duan Rong, and said, "You really don't know how to enjoy yourself. It's such a good place that's wasted!"

Duan Rong listened to Ximen Kankan's words, thinking about his expression and tone, and couldn't help but chuckle. He suddenly thought that if Ximen Kankan was in the previous life of Blue Star, he must have been a frequent visitor to the bathhouse and health care center! This kid is just like that.

Seeing Duan Rong laughing, Ximen Kankan turned around and asked, "What are you laughing at?"

"fine!"

Duan Rong said as he stood up and got out of the tub. He wiped his body and urged her. "Come out when you're done! You've been taking a bath for almost an hour!"

"No! I need to soak for a while longer!"

"Fuck you! Don't wait for me to come over and grab you!"

Hearing this, Ximen Kankan looked at Duan Rong warily while soaking in the bath. Duan Rong wiped his body and wrapped the bath towel around his waist. As soon as he walked to Ximen Kankan's bucket, Ximen Kankan jumped up.

The dirty clothes they had taken off were thrown directly over there. Both of them walked out with their bare chests, bath towels wrapped around their waists and wearing wooden clogs.

The clogs creaked in the corridor. The sound of the two people's clogs merged into a symphony, echoing in the corridor.

They reached the corner of the corridor, and Lu Geng suddenly turned out to meet them.

Suddenly, he saw Duan Rong and another person he didn't know walking towards him with their shirts off, and Lu Geng was obviously stunned.

Duan Rong smiled and said, "Brother Lu, when did you come back?"

Lu Geng clasped his fists and said with a smile: "I have been back for five or six days. Junior Brother Duan, I heard that you have advanced to the Cyclone Realm, and I haven't had the chance to congratulate you yet! Junior Brother, you are so young, and you have reached such a realm. You really bring honor to our Yunfu Peak!"

Although Duan Rong was standing there shirtless, Lu Geng clasped his fists and bowed, almost showing the courtesy of a subordinate, and his words were even more flattering.

When Lu Geng was in Shenyun Mansion, Duan Rong once rescued Qin Xueyin from him. At that time, he was amazed at Duan Rong's rapid progress. Unexpectedly, five days ago, when he just returned to Yunfu Peak, Duan Rong had already achieved the Cyclone Realm.

It’s not even a year yet!

Duan Rong said, "I had a great time drinking with Senior Brother Lu at Shenyun Mansion. If we have time someday, we can drink together again."

Lu Geng smiled and said, "No problem. Senior Brother will definitely come whenever you invite me."

Duan Rong said, "Then Senior Brother Lu, I will go back to my room first."

"Okay, take care, Junior Brother."

Duan Rong and Ximen Kankan walked over, but Lu Geng was still standing there, watching them leave.

Ximen Kankan glanced behind him and said to Duan Rong, "Is that man your senior brother? He's such a flatterer! He's still standing there, watching us leave!"

Duan Rong's expression remained unchanged as he said, "Everyone has his own way of survival."

He knew that he had suddenly achieved the Cyclone Realm, which greatly shocked all his fellow brothers on Yunfu Peak. He still remembered the look in Wu Shidao's eyes when he first heard him admit it.

After all, this was a leap forward in realm, and it was completely different from his rapid progress in cultivation in the Yuanqi realm.

Lu Geng acted like that just now because he wanted to get close to him.

Duan Rong and Ximen Kankan returned to the room. After they changed their clothes, Ximen Kankan pulled the rope behind the door, and soon a servant came over.

Ximen Kankan ordered a lot of dishes and said he wanted to have a good meal.

Duan Rong said: "Just order your own. I won't eat it!"

"You're not eating yet?" Ximen Kankan looked at Duan Rong with a strange look in his eyes. "You've been practicing in the secret room for a month, and it seems like you haven't eaten a single bite of food, right?"

Duan Rong said: "I told you I'm fasting. I only drink mountain spring water."

"All right!"

Ximen Kankan ordered a few more dishes from the servant and sat in front of the table waiting to eat.

Duan Rong said: "I'll be out for a while and will be back soon."

Ximen Kankan asked, "Where are you going?"

"Something happened!" Duan Rong said, and walked out of the room.

He left the room and came to the document library of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

As soon as Duan Rong walked in, a middle-aged historian who had gained weight suddenly stood up, bowed to Duan Rong with a smile, and said, "Master Duan, is there anything you want to tell me?"

The middle-aged Shi Jian had a bulging belly, and the belt he wore was so tight that the flesh on both sides was squeezed out.

Duan Rong glanced at the man and said, "Song Shijian, I want to see the catalog of documents that have been archived recently."

"Yes, sir. Here it is." The man took out a booklet and handed it to Duan Rong respectfully.

Duan Rong picked up the phone and said, "Just do your thing. I'll just take a look."

"All right, sir! You can call me anytime if you need anything."

Duan Rong opened the booklet and walked into the document library.

The reason why he came to the document library was because he met Lu Geng in the corridor just now.

Now that Lu Geng is back, it means that Li Shensi's case has come to an end.

Duan Rong wanted to come to the Internal Affairs Bureau to check the final closing documents regarding the Li Shensi case.

He flipped through the booklet in his hand, and at a glance, he saw the entry he was looking for on the first page.

According to the number, I quickly found the relevant documents on the shelf.

Duan Rong quickly scanned the document. There was no real evidence in the Li Shensi case, so it was eventually treated as an unsolved case.

He saw that at the end of the document, in addition to the seals of the Dali Temple and the Palace Master's Office of the Shenyun Prefecture, there were also seals of the Zongzhengsi, Tongzhengshisi and Neishisi within the sect.

At the end of the document are the signatures of the joint letter: Lu Geng, Yang Yi, Liu Shushan, Chen Shanmeng, and Lin Yuan.

Duan Rong paused briefly on Liu Shushan's name. Although this old friend had also stayed in Shenyun Mansion for quite some time, they had never met each other.

Duan Rong felt a sense of sadness as his childhood friends became strangers.

He put the document back far away, but suddenly his eyes moved. He opened the book in his hand again and stared at one of the entries on the first page of the book: Liu Shushan became Zheng Yi's apprentice document archived.

Judging from the date, this document was filed in the Ministry of Internal Affairs one day after the closing document of Li Shensi's case.

Duan Rong's eyes flickered, which means that as soon as Liu Shushan returned to the mountain, he became Zheng Yi's disciple.

A few months ago, Duan Rong was still relatively unfamiliar with the name Zheng Yi, but now he is very familiar with it.

This person is also an elder of the Council of Elders, and more importantly, he is one of the most important members in Lu Zhongtang's camp.

Liu Shushan had just become Ge Rushong's apprentice not long ago, but Ge Rushong was suddenly overthrown by Zhu He, and Liu Shushan naturally became an innocent victim.

At least he lost his status as a direct disciple.

But just a few days later, he actually became the sect's direct disciple again.

"It's not just because you have good talent." Duan Rong thought, and a mocking smile flashed across his lips: "Shushan! You have changed sides and finally ended up on the enemy side! Although we are old friends, it is difficult for us to go the same way again!"

After all, they have been outer disciples for three years and have a good relationship with each other. They can share many confidential matters and can be said to be entrusted with life and death.

As long as Liu Shushan was not on the hostile side, they could still be friends.

But at that time, Liu Shushan chose to worship Ge Rushong as his master. After Ge Rushong was destroyed, he worshipped Zheng Yi as his master again.

Duan Rong shook his head secretly, walked out, returned the book in his hand to the middle-aged historian, and left the document library.

"Master Duan, please take care!"

As Duan Rong stepped out of the door of the document library, he heard the portly Song Shijian's enthusiastic farewell voice from behind.

When Duan Rong returned to his room in the pavilion, Ximen Kankan had already finished his meal and was sitting there picking his teeth.

Duan Rong took a look at the messy table and said, "Let's go! After we finish eating, let's go back to the secret room to practice!"

"Still practicing!" Ximen Kankan's face tensed upon hearing this, and he said, "I've been practicing for a month straight. Even animals need a break."

Duan Rong asked: "Who are you calling a beast?"

"You're still not allowed to talk?" Ximen Kankan said, "I mean, we should combine work with rest. People need entertainment!"

Ximen Kankan's words that people need entertainment made Duan Rong laugh again, and he thought of bathing and health care again. "This kid!"

Duan Rong saw that Ximen Kankan was really reluctant to start practicing right away. It would take another two months for his hidden injury to heal completely. According to his temperament, he would not do anything else until his hidden injury was completely healed.

However, the fact that Ximen Kankan could practice in the secret room for a whole month had already exceeded Duan Rong's expectations.

Duan Rong said: "It's okay if you don't practice. Then I'll take you to a place!"

"Where are you going?" When Ximen Kankan saw Duan Rong said he didn't want to practice, he immediately became interested. He jumped up from the desk and asked excitedly.

"Dark Forest!"

Duan Rong led Ximen Kankan all the way down from the iron chain on the cliff, and landed on the glowing grass.

Ximen Kankan looked at the fluorescent grasses under his feet and immediately turned into a curious baby. He pulled out a grass and held it in his hand to look at it.

But as soon as he pulled it out, the fluorescence of the grass quickly disappeared.

"Follow me and don't run around!" Duan Rong said, and walked slowly forward.

Ximen Kankan immediately dropped the grass in his hand and followed Duan Rong. He stood behind Duan Rong and kept asking various questions, and Duan Rong answered him in a disjointed manner.

When the two of them walked out of the fluorescent grass, Ximen Kankan's eyes rolled and his look immediately became alert.

Duan Rong had already told him that the fluorescence in the grass could blind the eyes of the Yuan beast, so it was relatively safe in the grass.

But after leaving that grassland, you must be prepared to deal with all kinds of beasts in the dark forest, and the deeper you go into the forest, the more dangerous it will be.

Duan Rong took Ximen Kankan to stroll around the outer edge, found a few small, low-level Yuan beasts, and asked him to kill them to practice.

Ximen Kankan stabbed a green-haired rabbit to death, picked it up by its ears, and handed it to Duan Rong to look at, muttering, "Why is this thing so ugly? It looks like a dead rabbit with mold growing on it."

Duan Rong said: "If you think it's ugly, you can throw it away."

"Why throw it away? Fly legs are meat too!" Ximen Kankan said, and then put the rabbit into the cloth bag at his feet.

His cloth bag already contained several small, primary-level beasts.

"Let's go. Let's go over there and take a look." Duan Rong moved his body and headed in one direction.

Ximen Kankan put the cloth bag on his back and immediately followed Duan Rong.

The two were traveling through the dark forest, when suddenly Duan Rong paused, turned his head and looked in a certain direction, his eyes flashing.

(End of this chapter)